Lock

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a key actuated, coin controlled lock for lockers or the like wherein a coin activates the lock and allows a key to rotate in the tumbler and the coin is returned upon replacement of the key in the lock and the latch mechanism is in unengaged position. The key cannot be removed from the lock until a coin is inserted in the coin slot and the locking mechanism is actuated.

United States Patent 1 Smith et al.

[4 1 May 13, 1975 1 LOCK [75] Inventors: Donald H. Smith, Crystal; Walter H.

Krueger, Wilmette, both of 111.

[73] Assignee: Walter H. Krueger, Wilmette, Ill.

[22] Filed: June 27, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 483,787

[52] US. Cl. 194/51 [51] Int. Cl. G07f 5/26 [58] Field of Search 194/1 K, 92, 32, 40. 51.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith et a1 194/32 3,269,507 8/1966 Smith et a1 194/51 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-H. Grant Skuggs Attorney, Agent, or FirmRummler & Snow [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a key actuated, coin controlled lock for lockers or the like wherein a coin activates the lock and allows a key to rotate in the tumbler and the coin is returned upon replacement of the key in the lock and the latch mechanism is in unengaged position. The key cannot be removed from the lock until a coin is inserted in the coin slot and the locking mechanism is actuated.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEB RAY I 3 I975 SHEEI 10? 2 LOCK BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Libraries, Y.M.C.A.s and other athletic facilities where clothes and other articles, like books and magazines, are temporarily stored have developed a need for a locker having a lock which can be used by persons using the facilities without an attendant. Thus. to ensure return of the key, a coin must be used to activate the lock and the coin returned to the user after the key has been replaced and the lock mechanism has been deactivated. Therefore, the main object of this invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive, foolproof locking mechanism to achieve the foregoing. Another object is to produce a locking mechanism containing minimal parts to effect activation and deactivation of the latch; to provide a coin operative lock wherein the coin activates the latching mechanism, with the coin retained in the slot, and simultaneously raise the pivoted latching toggle and allow the bolt to shift with the rotation of the key; and return the coin to the user upon insertion of the key and upon rotation thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the housing for my latching mechanism:

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the housing, lock and components;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating how the coin pivots the toggle while descending through the coin slot and abuts against the retention member;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 but illlustrating how the coin is returned by lateral shifting of the retention member upon deactivation of the latch bar; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 99 of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The housing 10 comprises a pair of Ushaped like parts 12 and 14 with the legs 16 and 17 forming the top and bottom walls, respectively, of the housing interfitting with the legs 18 and 20, forming the side walls of the housing. The legs 16l7 each have downwardly and upwardly extending thread ears 2224, respectively, medially of their ends for the reception of a screw (not shown) extending through vertically-aligned respective apertures 26 (only one being shown in FIG. 2), in the connecting leg 28 of the part 14. By anchoring of screws through the apertures 26 and into the threaded apertures in the members 2224, the latching mechanism is then wholely contained in the housing 10.

Parts 12 and 14 have extended portions which match and come together to form the mounting flanges l3 and 15. Holes drilled through these protrusions permit passage of screws, bolts, or rivets for proper mounting of the lock housing.

lines The housing 10 also contains a vertically-extending coin chute 30 positioned above the leg 16, forming the upper wall ofthe housing. and also interiorly into the housing but terminating short of the leg 17 forming the bottom wall of the housing 10. A tumbler mechanism 32 and key 34 is secured to the connecting leg 36 of the part 12. The tumbler 32 has at one end a short plate 38 secured thereto for eccentric rotation upon rotation of the key 32 and extending at right angles to the axis of the tumbler mechanism. The free end of plate 38 is provided with a cam pin 40 which extends inwardly at right angles thereto.

The bolt member 42 has a cam block 44 mounted thereon containing a cam slot 46 for seating of the cam pin 40. The bolt member 42 also has integrally formed thereon a recess 45, a toggle land 48, a blocking post 50 with a laterally-extending coin retention rod 52 secured thereto adjacent the upper end thereof and a longitudinally-extending block 54 adjacent the lower end thereof, to which a coin retention and release plate 55 is rigidly anchored and extends at right angles to the block 54. The upper end of the post 50 is provided with an offset 56 from which the pin 52 extends.

The keeper or toggle catch 58 comprises an inverted Ushaped member 60, one arm of which engages recess 45 to maintain unlocked bolt position. A right angled arm 62 extends laterally from the leg 63 of the member 60. The arm 62 isintegrally secured at one end to the leg 63 as shown. The arm is pivotally secured in the U- shaped bracket 64 by a pivot pin 66, which bracket is anchored to the inner wall 68 of the coin chute 30. The outer or free end 72 of the arm 62 extends into the interior of the coin slot through slots 74 located in the side walls of the coin chute 30 and at the lower end of said walls. (See FIGS. 4-6 and 8). The upper corner 76 of the arm is rounded for ready downward passing of a coin, as well as supporting the toggle in its upward position (see FIG. 6).

The wall 69 of the coin chute 30 is also provided with an enlarged aperture 78 for the reception of the free end of rod 52 when the bolt 42 is withdrawn into the housing 10 or is in inoperative position to retain or block a coin 80 in the chute 30, as shown in phantom in FIG. 5. It is to be noted that the aperture 78 is offset from the end 72 of the arm 62. As seen from FIGS. 46, the rod 52 is positioned horizontally just below the upper edge of arm 62.

As fully shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the inverted U- shaped member of the toggle catch 58 is positioned on the blocking post 50 and the leg 63 thereof abuts the forward or left hand face of the offset 56 to prevent shifting of the bolt outwardly of the housing 10.

The bolt is also provided with guideways 82 and the leg 18 of the part 14 is provided with a rectangular slot 84 so that the bolt 42 may shift outwardly and inward of the housing 10.

When a coin is deposited in the coin chute 30, it will assume a vertical position and the weight thereof will lower the free end 72 of arm 62 thereby canting the inverted Ushaped member 58 about pivot pin 66 to free the recess 45 and the bar post 50. Simultaneously the coin is retained in the chute by the rod 52 (see FIG. 5). With bar post being freed from the inverted Ushaped member, the key 34 may then be rotated counterclockwise to shift the bolt 42 outwardly of the housing 10 by rotation of cam pin 40 in the cam slot 46.

Simultaneously with the shifting of the lock bolt 42, the blocking post 50 will shift with the bolt and the free end of the rod 52 will be withdrawn from the coin chute. Also, simultaneously the bar 54 with its plate 55 will shift with the bolt 42 to place the plate directly below the coin chute to retain the coin within the housing (see FIGS. 6 and 7) and because of the diameter of the coin, the coin will hold the arm 62 in its canted position (see FIG. 6).

When the key is returned to the tumbler 32 and rotated clockwise, the bolt will be returned to inoperative position moving plate 55 to the right in the position as shown in FIG. 4 allowing the coin to drop in the return chute 86 for retrieval by the user of the locker. Simultaneously the rod 52 is again in position in the chute 30 and the inverted U-shaped toggle is positioned on the post 50 to prevent lateral movement thereof.

Since there are times during packing, shipping, or installation of the unit when it might be held or turned to an inverted position, a means is provided by the toggle land 48 to prevent the U-shaped member 58 from pivoting from a locked position with its gravity in the inverted position and then being returned to a position behind the bar post.

It will now be apparent that the functions of coin blocking, coin retention, coin dropping and the bolt restraint are carried as one member which moves in one plane.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

" We claim:

1. A coin operated, key actuated lock wherein the key is retained in unlocked position and released in locked position, the improvement comprising:

a. a housing having front, back, top, side and bottom walls;

b. a vertically-extending coin chute mounted to said top wall and extending upwardly from said wall and interiorly in said housing and terminating short of said bottom wall;

c. a toggle catch having an inverted U-shaped member and an integrally-formed arm on said member extending at right angles thereto, the free end of said arm terminating partially interiorly in said chute, said arm pivotally secured adjacent said chute;

d. an integrally-formed slide bolt, cam block, blocking post and coin retention plate adapted to be shifted laterally as one piece;

e. said inverted U-shaped member seated on said blocking post to retain said bolt in inactivated position;

f. tumbler means on said front wall having a removable key, said key and tumbler means actuatable only when a coin is in said chute; and

g. cam pin means on said tumbler means seated in said cam block whereby, whena coin is inserted in the chute, it will impinge upon the free end of said arm to pivot said inverted U-shaped member upwardly about said pivot and release the blocking post to activate said lock.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said blocking post has a laterally-extending rod, the terminal end of which seats in said coin chute to block a coin therein and cooperatively associated with the terminal end of said arm.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein as the bolt is shifted outwardly of the housing, the coin retention plate will move under the coin chute to retain the coin in a vertical position and whereby the toggle catch will remain in canted position until the bolt is returned to inoperative position to shift the coin retention plate away from the chute to allow the coin to be returned.

4. The device according to claim 3 wherein the integrally formed slide bolt, cam block, blocking post, coin blocking rod and coin retention plate all shift in one plane, upon rotation of the cam pin. 

1. A coin operated, key actuated lock wherein the key is retained in unlocked position and released in locked position, the improvement comprising: a. a housing having front, back, top, side and bottom walls; b. a vertically-extending coin chute mounted to said top wall and extending upwardly from said wall and interiorly in said housing and terminating short of said bottom wall; c. a toggle catch having an inverted U-shaped member and an integrally-formed arm on said member extending at right angles thereto, the free end of said arm terminating partially interiorly in said chute, said arm pivotally secured adjacent said chute; d. an integrally-formed slide bolt, cam block, blocking post and coin retention plate adapted to be shifted laterally as one piece; e. said inverted U-shaped member seated on said blocking post to retain said bolt in inactivated position; f. tumbler means on said front wall having a removable key, said key and tumbler means actuatable only when a coin is in said chute; and g. cam pin means on said tumbler means seated in said cam block whereby, when a coin is inserted in the chute, it will impinge upon the free end of said arm to pivot said inverted U-shaped member upwardly about said pivot and release the blocking post to activate said lock.
 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said blocking post has a laterally-extending rod, the terminal end of which seats in said coin chute to block a coin therein and cooperatively associated with the terminal end of said arm.
 3. The device according to claim 2 wherein as the bolt is shifted outwardly of the housing, the coin retention plate will move under the coin chute to retain the coin in a vertical position and whereby the toggle catch will remain in canted position until the bolt is returned to inoperative position to shift the coin retention plate away from the chute to allow the coin to be returned.
 4. The device according to claim 3 wherein the integrally formed slide bolt, cam block, blocking post, coin blocking rod and coin retention plate all shift in one plane, upon rotation of the cam pin. 